'Discrimination, plain and simple': Senators react to Trump ban on transgender people in the military

Donald Trump. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Democrats and several Republicans reacted with a mixture of dismay and outrage to President Donald Trump's announcement on Wednesday that the US military would bar transgender people from serving.

He said in a statement that the Pentagon had already decided to allow transgender active-duty service members to continue serving and was conducting a study on the medical obligations and effects of allowing transgender people to serve.

McCain said Trump's tweets were "unclear" and that he did not believe new policy decisions were appropriate until the study has been completed and reviewed by Defense Secretary James Mattis, military leadership, and Congress.

Other senators echoed McCain's assessment.

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"We should all be guided by the principle that any American who wants to serve our country and is able to meet the standards should have the opportunity to do so — and should be treated as the patriots they are," McCain said.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement that the date of Trump's announcement coincided with the anniversary of President Harry S. Truman desegregating the military in 1948.

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"Sixty-nine years later, President Trump has chosen this day to unleash a vile and hateful agenda that will blindside thousands of patriotic Americans already serving with honor and bravery," Pelosi said. "This disgusting ban will weaken our military and the nation it defends."

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Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama was told of Trump's announcement during a CNN interview. He said he wanted to read the policy's wording but was sure the Senate would hold hearings on the matter. "You ought to treat everybody fairly, and you ought to give everybody a chance to serve," he said.

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Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, an Iraq War veteran who lost her legs in combat, called the ban "discriminatory and counterproductive to our national security."

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"When my Black Hawk helicopter was shot down in Iraq, I didn't care if the American troops risking their lives to help save me were gay, straight, transgender, or anything else. All that mattered was they didn't leave me behind," Duckworth said in a statement. "If you are willing to risk your life for our country and you can do the job, you should be able to serve — no matter your gender identity, sexual orientation, or race."

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Some lawmakers spoke out in favor of the ban, however, including Republican Rep. Vicky Hartzler of Missouri.

"Pleased to hear that [Trump] shares my readiness and cost concerns, & will be changing this costly and damaging policy," Hartzler tweeted.

"We need to invest every defense dollar to meet the threat that we're facing right now as a nation," she told CNN's Wolf Blitzer later on Wednesday, arguing that the Obama administration's decision to allow transgender people to serve would cost $1.35 billion over a decade just for sex-reassignment surgeries.

Blitzer disputed that estimate, noting that the RAND Corporation estimated in 2016 that between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender service members were on active duty, and that only 29 to 129 of those service members were likely to seek gender-transition-related treatment each year. Furthermore, transition-related treatment does not necessarily include surgery.

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When Republican Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah was asked whether he stood with the state's transgender community, Hatch tweeted that he did. He then released a longer statement, saying, "I don't think we should be discriminating against anyone."

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Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio said in a statement that the military "should not turn away anyone who is willing and able to serve this country and help keep Americans safe."